The present invention relates to a completely self-contained device that is specifically adapted to permit the non-verbal individual to communicate with speech.
It has long been the dream of many to devise a device that would provide the verbally handicapped with man's most widely used communication mode: speech. For the first time such a device now exists in the form of the present invention. Moreover, the present invention is adapted to be useable by those non-verbal individuals who are also deaf, blind, or physically impaired. The device is completely self-contained and battery operated. And although the unit is compact and intended to be hand held, it is capable of producing a clear simulation of the human voice.
In a first embodiment of the present invention, words and phrases are selected by the non-verbal by entering appropriate three-digit number codes representing the desired words and phrases on a numeric keyboard. The non-verbal can then cause the device to speak the entered message by depressing a "TAlK" key located on the keyboard. More particularly, the first embodiment of the present device contains 994 "word" and phrase selections which can be entered via two different modes: (1) the direct keyboard entry mode which is provided for individuals with medium to maximum motor capabilities; and (2) the number scanning or "scrolling" mode for individuals with minimal motor capabilities. The first mode as noted is utilized simply by entering the appropriate number codes representing the desired words and phrases on the numeric keyboard. Selections are made with the second mode by stopping the digits in the display, which are electronically rotated or scrolled in sequence, at the desired numerical selection. The scanning mode is initiated by the non-verbal through an input sensor switch which is activated by a single body action. Each of the three digits in the numerical display is then automatically scrolled in sequence until stopped by successive activations of the input sensor switch with the same body action which initiated the scanning mode. Thus, for those non-verbal individuals with minimal motor capabilities, the present invention can be operated with a single body action.
In addition, the non-verbal may in either selection mode have the displayed numbers announced as they are selected. When using the scanning method the "echo" mode also verbally announces the numbers as they are visually rotated on the display. Consequently, a blind individual with minimal motor capabilities can utilize the present invention in the scanning mode.
The present invention provides the verbally handicapped with five integrated methods of speech construction: words, sentences/phrases, letters of the alphabet, phonemes (speech sounds), and morphemes (word syllables). The 994 available "word" selections in the first embodiment are allocated as follows:
(1) A constant vocabulary of 897 basic isolated words chosen for their frequency-of-occurrence in normal conversational speech. The automatic blending of words is achieved through the use of a speech synthesizer; PA1 (2) Thirteen (13) common sentences and phrases are included in the repertoire, as for example: "My name is . . ."; PA1 (3) Twenty-six (26) words are dedicated to the pronounced letters of the alphabet to permit the non-verbal to communicate any thought by spelling; PA1 (4) For the individual with some knowledge of phonetics, forty-five (45) different phonemes are included to provide the verbally handicapped with an unlimited speech vocabulary. Automatic blending of the phonemes into intelligible sounding speech is also achieved through the voice synthesizer; and PA1 (5) Finally, thirteen (13) morphemes are provided so that numerous additional words can be constructed merely by adding an additional syllable to the basic word. For example, the word "even" can be given its opposite meaning by adding the prefix "un".
As will subsequently be described in greater detail, the present invention comprises three basic components: the keyboard and its associated interface circuitry, a microprocessor and digital memory with appropriate interface circuitry, and a voice synthesizer. Information entered via the keyboard is initially stored in a message storage memory unit which in the preferred embodiments is capable of storing a maximum of forty (40) entries. When the "TALK" button is depressed, the microprocessor is programmed to sequentially read the three-digit coded entries stored in the message memory unit and access the appropriate address locations in the main vocabulary memory unit containing the words or phrases identified by the three-digit codes. More particularly, the 994 "words" in the system's vocabulary are stored phonetically in the vocabulary memory unit so that each "word" comprises one or more sequentially stored phonemes followed by a special end-of-word phoneme referred to as a "flag". Thus, for each "word" identified by a three-digit entry, the microprocessor will automatically access the address location in the vocabulary memory of the first phoneme in the "word" and then continue to access successive memory locations until the "flag" is encountered. The string of phonemes read from the vocabulary memory is then provided by the microprocessor to the speech synthesizer which converts the digital information into intelligible sounding human speech.
In a second embodiment of the present invention, a modified input device is provided having a keyboard area with 128 touch sensitive locations. The keyboard area comprises a flat surface with words and/or graphic symbols appearing at the touch sensitive locations. Entries are made via the keyboard simply by touching the designated areas. In addition, four shift levels provide each key with four different selections. Eight keys per level are dedicated to control functions, (e.g. "TALK"), thus providing a total of 480 possible entries.
Additional objects and advantages of the present invention will become apparent from a reading of the detailed description of the preferred embodiments which makes reference to the following set of drawings in which: